Google Maps

In Fall 2013, German 311(Advanced German I), taught by Associate Professor Paul Youngman, mapped the German culture over time. The class was divided into groups of students who then selected a specific era of German history and used written analysis and mapping functionalities in their Kulturkarte project:

1. Explanation of the ideals of the era
2. Background of a historical figure (philosopher, scientist, etc.) or statesman
3. Description of an important historical event
4. Background of a writer, artist and musician
5. Analysis of two works of art (music, painting, sculpture, novel, drama, or architecture)

The students in Robert Policelli’s Spring 2013 World Travelers Before 1500 course put together annotated Google maps in the hopes that they would prove useful internet research aides for others. They read the major primary sources for each traveler and then read selective secondary source readings. After completing their readings, the students decided what locations were most important–and why. Then they explained their decisions in the map annotations. So, rather than comprehensive overviews, these maps are interpretive surveys reflective of the students’ readings of the source materials. They will be most useful to researchers with some background on each traveler. The maps cover some well-known pre-modern travelers such as Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus and also some lesser known ones, including Rabban Bar Sauma and John of Plano Carpini.